1989 Portuguese Grand Prix
24 September | number = 481 | officialname = XVIII Grande Prémio de Portugal | circuit = Autódromo do Estoril | location = Estoril, Portugal | circuittype = Permanent racing facility | lapdistance = 4.350 | laps = 71 | distance = 308.850 |pole = Ayrton Senna |polenation = BRA-1968 |poleteam = |poletime = 1:15.468 |fastestlap = 1:18.986 |fastestlapdriver = Gerhard Berger |fastestlapnation = AUT |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 49 |winner = Gerhard Berger |winnernation = AUT |winnerteam = |second = Alain Prost |secondnation = FRA |secondteam = |third = Stefan Johansson |thirdnation = SWE |thirdteam = }} The 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix, otherwise known as the XVIII Grande Prémio de Portugal, was the thirteenth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged on the 24 September 1989 at the Autódromo do Estoril in Portugal.'Portuguese GP, 1989', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2015), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr481.html, (Accessed 21/04/2019) Victory would go to Gerhard Berger in the #28 , as Alain Prost inched closer to his third World Championship title. In spite of his Championship lead, Prost would make several controversial remarks about 's engine suppliers , with the Frenchman believing that he was getting inferior engines. This was likely due to the fact that he was to leave the squad for at the end of the campaign, while teammate Ayrton Senna was to stick with them for . Qualifying would see Senna claim pole position as usual, while Prost found himself down in fourth for the second consecutive race. The two McLarens were split by the two Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell, while Pierluigi Martini claimed an impressive fifth in the Pirelli shod . The start of the race saw Berger get the jump on Senna, with the Brazilian unable to out-drag his future teammate on the run to the first corner. Mansell, meanwhile, was able to beat Prost into turn one, while Martini fended off Riccardo Patrese. The order proved fairly static during the early stages, with Senna unable to find a way past Berger, while Mansell looked for a way to pass the Brazilian. Indeed, it was only on lap eight when the order did change, with Mansell elbowing his way into second. Again the order would remain static, until the Brit stole the lead away from teammate Berger on lap 24, shortly before the field dived into the pits for their stops. That allowed Martini to briefly lead the race for Minardi, as Mansell reversed in the pit lane after missing his pit-box. Unsurprisingly Mansell was issued with a disqualification after an investigation, although the Brit simply ignored the black flags. It was therefore hugely controversial when he and Senna came together on lap 49, resulting in both retiring with collision damage while fighting for second. Berger, meanwhile, was left unopposed to claim victory after grabbing the lead during the stops, while Prost shuffled through to second. Behind them came a shocked Stefan Johansson, claiming the first (and ultimately only) podium finish for , while Alessandro Nannini, Martini and Jonathan Palmer claimed the remaining points. The results of the race meant that Prost's Championship lead grew to 24 points with three races to go, meaning he could take the title at the next race in Spain. Background Alain Prost had moved twenty points clear at the head of the Championship as a result of the Italian Grand Prix, and could potentially win the title in Portugal. Indeed, if Ayrton Senna, his closest challenger, failed to score with Prost winning the race the battle would be over, before either driver had to take a dropped score. Elsewhere, Nigel Mansell had lost ground in third, although he was still ten points clear of Riccardo Patrese in fourth. The Constructors' Championship, in contrast, was all over, with declared as the Champions as they reached 122 points for the campaign. Indeed, their ninth win of the campaign had seen them move 70 points clear of , with just 60 points left to fight for across the final four races. The Anglo-French squad were hence looking to hold off for second, with those two leaving Italy some eight points apart. Entry List The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Pre-Qualifying Pre-Qualifying Results The full pre-qualifying results for the are outlined below: ** Larini was excluded from the results of qualifying for missing a weight check. *† Dalmas was disqualified for a tyre infringement. Friday Qualifying Saturday Qualifying Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. ** Larini was excluded from the results of qualifying for missing a weight check. *† Dalmas was disqualified for a tyre infringement. Grid Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. Milestones * 750th entry for a chassis.'1989 Portuguese GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2015), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1989&gp=Portuguese%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 21/04/2019) * Alain Prost made his 150th Grand Prix start.'13. Portugal 1989', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1989/portugal.aspx, (Accessed 21/04/2019) * Maiden entry for JJ Lehto. * Fifth career victory for Gerhard Berger. * 97th win for as a constructor and engine supplier. * Twelfth and final podium for Stefan Johansson. ** This was also the first and only podium finish for as a constructor. Standings Alain Prost moved within touching distance of a third World Championship title in Portugal, heading to Spain with a 24 point lead. Prost would win the title if he could finish ahead of teammate Ayrton Senna, or if he could finish second with the Brazilian winning the race. Indeed, Senna had to finish first or second in Spain just to keep the title fight alive, having won the same number of races as his teammate. , meanwhile, had continued to add to their Constructors' Championship winning tally in Portugal, moving onto 128 points for the campaign. Behind, had moved into second ahead of , with the two split by a point with three races to go. Those two were set to duel to be runner-up for the rest of the season, with thirty point off in fourth. Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:1989 Grands Prix Category:Portuguese Grand Prix